Opposite?

[molok69]

I have often heard people say "everything has an opposite", is this really true?

[Aedes]

Yes. The opposite of "everything" is "nothing".

[ogden]

If positive is opposed by negative then what is oposite of neutral?

[Aedes]

The opposite of neutral is non-neutral.

Depending on context the opposite of neutral can be "charged", or the opposite of neutral can be "biased."

[Didymos Thomas]

If adjectives were not relative to some other adjective, I'm not sure they could have much meaning.

[Aedes]

Well, clearly modifiers can have opposites. Verbs probably can too, though I guess "not" is the operative word (i.e. the opposite of thinking is not thinking).

But do nouns have opposites? Like what is the opposite of "fish"?

I guess the opposite of fish is nothing. Why? Because the opposite of anything is nothing. Well, that's not entirely true -- the opposite of anything can also be something. Alternatively, the opposite of fish can be fishes. Or it can be chips...

What about these multiple opposites? I mean the opposite of 2 can be -2, but it can also be 0.5. And it could also be 0 or infinity (or I suppose negative infinity).

[NeitherExtreme]

Originally Posted by Aedes

Well, clearly modifiers can have opposites. Verbs probably can too, though I guess "not" is the operative word (i.e. the opposite of thinking is not thinking).

But do nouns have opposites? Like what is the opposite of "fish"?

I guess the opposite of fish is nothing. Why? Because the opposite of anything is nothing. Well, that's not entirely true -- the opposite of anything can also be something. Alternatively, the opposite of fish can be fishes. Or it can be chips...

What about these multiple opposites? I mean the opposite of 2 can be -2, but it can also be 0.5. And it could also be 0 or infinity (or I suppose negative infinity).

Just had to say...
Great post.

So maybe any thing has infinite opposites?

[Zetetic11235]

It seems to me that the opposite nature of somthing is contingent upon a null result when the opposites are both considered truths. Both black and white is not truely opposite, they form grey. This can't be the sole consideration because it ends in oppositie=contradiciton. That is not quite true.

[nameless]

Originally Posted by molok69

I have often heard people say "everything has an opposite", is this really true?

"Every perspective has an equal and opposite perspective." - Book of Fudd

(The question is sloppy. What is the 'opposite' of an apple? 'Things' do not have 'opposites'.)

[Holiday20310401]

Originally Posted by nameless

"Every perspective has an equal and opposite perspective." - Book of Fudd

(The question is sloppy. What is the 'opposite' of an apple? 'Things' do not have 'opposites'.)

You mean entireties do not have opposites? The opposite of apple is no apple, not being a part of what can be real or perceived even.